Health Insurance Canada
Our tips to help you make the most of Canada.
Are you planning to expatriate to Canada, study, do an internship or simply take a vacation in Canada? In all these scenarios, it’s essential to take out international health insurance for yourself and your loved ones. With some of the highest healthcare costs in the world, Canada can present a considerable financial risk in the event of illness or accident. With the right insurance, you can leave with peace of mind, protected against unforeseen financial, health and legal risks. Our health insurance policies for Canada cover a range of expenses, including repatriation, hospitalization, liability and other emergency medical costs.
Student Insurance Canada
The insurance that covers your stay for your studies in Canada.
Starting from
27€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 35
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €250,000 per year
- Standard dental and optical expenses up to €550
- Contraception coverage + vaccines
- Maternity care
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Insurance in addition to RAMQ for access to private practitioners and clinics
- Repatriation assistance
- Civil liability
- Individual protection
Expatriate insurance Canada
International health insurance to cover your expatriation to Canada.
Starting from
93€
- Worldwide coverage
- Minimum age: 14
- Maximum age: 65
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €1,500,000 per year
- Maternity coverage up to €4,000
- Coverage of assisted reproduction up to €1,500
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Coverage of pharmaceutical expenses up to €370
- Optional dental and optical care
- Maternity plus option
- Prevention and well-being as an option
- Optional repatriation assistance
- Optional third-party liability
Travel Insurance Canada
Health insurance to cover your trip to Canada.
Starting from
30€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 85
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Up to €500,000 per trip
- Covers loss, theft or destruction of luggage
- Repatriation assistance
- Travel assistance
- Civil liability
Any questions? Need advice?
Information on health insurance in Canada
Political system: Parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Ottawa
Surface area: 9,984,670 sq. km
Population: 37.06 million
Languages spoken : English, French
Currency: Canadian dollar
Is insurance compulsory in Canada?
Depending on your visa and the purpose of your stay in Canada, medical insurance may or may not be mandatory. Mondassur lets you cover all your risks (health, repatriation, baggage…) by choosing an international health insurance policy tailored to all your needs. The insurance you choose depends on your status in Canada and the length of your stay. If you’re coming to Canada as a tourist, insurance is not compulsory, but it is essential to take out travel insurance for Canada, given the medical costs involved.
Would you like to spend a semester, an internship or part of your studies in Canada? Don’t forget to take out student health insurance. With our GoldStudent health insurance, you’ll be covered for all your healthcare costs. If you’re coming to Canada for several months to several years, the options are different, and you need to understand how the Canadian healthcare system works. If you’re leaving on a resident’s visa, you’ll need insurance. For some visas, such as Supervisa, health insurance is compulsory.
Canada's healthcare system
Canada is a federal state. Some aspects of social protection are therefore managed at federal level, while others are managed at regional or local level. Employment insurance is part of the federal system and provides protection in the event of job loss, illness, pregnancy or adoption. Family benefits and pensions also depend on the federal system.
Every person considered a permanent resident of Canada is entitled to health care in the country. The system is free and universal BUT not everyone can benefit from it, and not all medical care is covered. This includes hospitalization and medical care insurance. Work stoppages are covered by employment insurance. Depending on the province or territory, drugs, dental care, optical care and chiropractic may also be covered in certain cases.
To help workers and their families cope with reduced income due to retirement, disability or death, the Canadian federal government has also set up the CPP (Canada Pension Plan). This plan is compulsory and allows everyone to contribute to helping those in need.
Can I be covered by RAMQ in Quebec?
The Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec – RAMQ – is the public organization that covers your healthcare costs in Quebec. People leaving for a WHV in Canada do not benefit from it, just like tourists, but students enrolled in a Quebec institution or people immigrating to Canada as permanent residents can. Please note, however, that there is a 3-month waiting period before you can benefit.
RAMQ has signed agreements with these European countries for reciprocal coverage:
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Luxembourg
- Norway
- Portugal
- Romania
- Sweden
This means you can access RAMQ without the 3-month waiting period. If your country of origin has not signed an agreement, it is essential for all immigrants from outside these countries to take out insurance for the first 3 months.
How will you be covered by RAMQ in Quebec?
RAMQ covers you in public institutions for hospitalization, medical procedures and doctors’ fees. You will be issued with an insurance card, the “carte Soleil”. RAMQ provides little or no coverage for dental, optical and other treatments such as osteopathy, chiropractic…Etc. Certain dental treatments involving surgery may be covered.
The pharmacy is covered only if you have taken out prescription drug insurance, which is compulsorily purchased and paid for via your income tax return, or if your employer offers you private supplementary insurance. Certain categories of people are exempt. A foreign worker in permanent residence must pay it.
RAMQ will cover you in the above countries for emergencies, but will not cover you for anything else. RAMQ will not cover you if you use the services of a private doctor’s office.
Medical services covered by the RAMQ are those that are medically necessary and provided by a general practitioner (also called a “family doctor” or “general practitioner”) or a specialist. These services include the following treatments:
- Reviews
- Consultations
- Diagnostic or therapeutic (treatment) procedures
- Psychiatric treatments
- Surgery
- Anaesthesia
- Certain radiology services provided by a physician
How do I get medical care in Quebec?
When you arrive, you need to register to find a “family doctor”. The difficulty is that there is a maximum number of patients per doctor, so it’s hard to find an available doctor. It can sometimes take months or even years to find a family doctor… So you can be treated in an emergency if you go straight to hospital and are prepared to wait long hours. You’ll do this in an emergency, of course, but for a preventive or less urgent check-up, chances are it’ll be complicated in Canada.
You can then go to a private clinic where you will be charged for consultations. This is where private insurance can be very useful. You can also call 811 to explain your problem, and you’ll be put in touch with a nurse who will be able to direct you according to your situation.
Why choose private health insurance that complements RAMQ or a local insurance plan?
RAMQ does not cover all medical care. Without supplementary insurance, your out-of-pocket expenses are likely to be very high. Many companies offer their employees complementary contracts to the RAMQ. You can take out additional Canadian or international insurance.
The advantage of international health insurance is that it will cover you in Canada, whether in the public or private sector, and abroad during your trip. If you are immigrating to Quebec, we invite you to visit the RAMQ website for as much information as possible, depending on your situation.
Which health insurance for Canada?
Canada is a country that is attracting more and more expatriates, but with some of the highest medical costs in the world. Insurance is essential. Either you are covered by local Canadian insurance and must choose a complementary plan, or you are not and must take out comprehensive private insurance. To support you in your expatriation to Canada, Mondassur offers you a range of contracts based on the level of cover provided by the GOLD range. You are then covered for :
- 100% coverage of actual hospital costs: Hospitalization must be reimbursed at 100% of actual costs incurred. This is a real necessity for Canada insurance. With hospitalization costs in Canada among the highest in the world, it’s essential that you have 100% coverage in the event of an accident.
- Private medical cover: You’ll be covered for treatment in both public and private facilities.
- Worldwide coverage, including in your home country
- Coverage for paramedical care (chiropractic, osteopathy, physiotherapy, etc.), dental care and optical care
- Coverage for drugs prescribed in pharmacies
- Repatriation cover: There are many cases or medical situations where repatriation to the country of origin is required or strongly recommended. Where the American social security system will never cover repatriation, private health insurance may enable you to return to your country for treatment.
